Rangers Could Weaponize #5 Pick to Land Big-Ticket RFA

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Trade pitch has Rangers acquiring Jason Robertson.

The New York Rangers were one of the teams that walked away from the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery with the fifth-overall pick. That outcome was a disappointment for fans hoping the Blueshirts would land the top selection.

Still, New York got a solid pick. And it could be one that the club could weaponize if the right deal came along. That deal could well be landing top RFA Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars.

The Rangers, like the Chicago Blackhawks, could parlay their first-round pick in 2026 into a high-end 45-goal scorer. It’s certainly an interesting proposition, considering that the Blueshirts need scoring, and the Stars just don’t have the cap space to keep Robertson.

While the Star could make the math work on Robertson, doing so would come at the expense of other depth pieces. That’s why the Stars might look at the opportunity to get out from under the hot potato that could be Robertson’s $12 million AAV, and land a high-end prospect in the process.

Here’s a look at what this trade might look like:

Rangers get:

Jason Robertson, F

2026 second-round pick

Stars get:

2026 first-round pick (#5)

It’s worth noting that the Rangers already have Dallas’ 2026 first-rounder. The Blueshirts got that pick as part of the K’Andre Miller deal. So, New York would add the Stars’ 2026 second-rounder, currently slated to go 60^th overall.

As such, the Rangers would effectively turn that #5 pick into Robertson, while still picking late in the first round, 27^th overall.

Why This Deal Makes Sense for Rangers

The Rangers are looking to make a quick turnaround next season. Adding Robertson would fit that void. The 26-year-old would instantly take over the lineup spot Artemi Panarin left, boosting the club’s offensive prowess.

Of course, there’s the matter of signing Robertson to a new contract. The Rangers could give Robertson the sort of deal he wants, which is believed to be in the $12 million AAV ballpark. The club has about $26 million in free space for next season. So, about half of it would go towards Robertson.

If the Blueshirts decided to dump some onerous, veteran contracts, enough cap space would emerge to build a team around Robertson. And that’s the thing, he’s the sort of player the Blueshirts could retool and rebuild around.

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Dallas Gets a Hot Potato Off Their Hands

As for Dallas, this trade with the Rangers would allow the organization to get a hot potato off its hands. While the chatter is that the Stars would like to keep Robertson in the fold, it just doesn’t seem likely. The organization would have to do quite a bit of shuffling to fit Robertson’s new contract under their cap, and still fill out depth roles to keep the club competitive.

It’s no easy task, but doable. Should the Stars get to a point where there’s no real way around the situation, they could explore a deal such as this one. Whoever Dallas picks with the fifth-overall pick might not immediately jump into the lineup. But the prospect would give the team a potential high-end piece to deploy when the time comes.